Suspecting that you’re being followed is not a pleasant feeling. That can be a scary, nerve-wracking experience, especially if it is night, and especially if you are walking alone. If you are actually being chased, that is even more terrifying. However, there are some times when having someone following you is not scary. It can even be comforting, such as when it is a parent looking after a child from a distance. Another time when someone following can be a comfort is if they are a bodyguard or Secret Service guards for some important figure. They can make you feel very safe. In a portion of today’s Scripture we read of being followed. Let’s see if it is good or not.
Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most beloved psalm, or even portions of Scripture in the Bible. It is the psalm given in the Lectionary for this week. There are so many sermons and teachings that one can glean from Psalm 23, that one could study it for weeks on end and never run dry. Today let us focus just on the final verse of the psalm, verse 6.
Psalm 23 seems to speak of a journey that the believer takes. He is led by the Lord, who takes him to some nice and pleasant places, the green pastures and still waters, and also a banquet table. They also travel through some more fearful places, such as the valley of the shadow of death. As the psalm closes it introduces us to two who have been following us all through our life, and they are Goodness and Mercy.
Both goodness and mercy are part of God’s character. They are who He is. God is all good and He is all merciful. They are also two of the fruits of the Spirit which Christians should bring forth in their own lives, as well. God’s goodness shows forth in all of the blessings that He bestows upon us all throughout our life, giving us provisions, health, and life itself. It is goodness that gives us the green pastures that God has us lie down in, and the still waters we are led by (vs. 2). It is God’s mercy that retrieves us when we foolishly leave the paths of righteousness (vs. 3).
The word “follow” here is “radaph” in Hebrew. It means a bit more than to just leisurely follow. It means more to run after, to chase, to eagerly pursue. If we are being followed, “radaph” by those who seek to harm us, that is not good! But look, who is it that we find “radaphing” after us - it is goodness and mercy! God’s goodness and mercy are relentlessly hunting us down all the days of our life. They will never stop, they will never cease.
We cannot always see goodness and mercy ahead of us. Sometimes our path in life may look rather grim, sometimes even dark. We may fear, especially when we are going through those shadowy valleys. Goodness and mercy seem to be hiding themselves. However, when we look back, we can see all of the ways that God has helped us. Wherever the Lord leads us, our ultimate destination is an eternal dwelling place of joy.
The whole path that the Lord leads us through in this psalm and through life has its ultimate destination being the house of the Lord. All believers, those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, will dwell with God. He is the perfect Shepherd and host. He promises to guide and protect us through life, and to bring us into His house to be with Him forever.
In closing, remember that Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and we who are believers are the sheep of His flock. He leads the flock, and it is like He has two sheepdogs guarding the rear. Goodness and Mercy are the names of His two sheepdogs who guard us all through life. Goodness to supply every need, and Mercy to forgive every sin.
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